Special Report: NPC, CPPCC Annual Sessions 2008

Wu Jianmin, the spokesman for the First Plenary Session of the Eleventh National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), answers questions from journalists during a news conference on the CPPCC session at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 2, 2008.(Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    BEIJING, March 2 (Xinhua) -- Chairpersons of China's eight democratic parties are to meet domestic and foreign reporters at a joint press conference on Thursday on the sideline of the annual full session of the country's top political advisory body, said a spokesman of the session.

    This is a group debut of the newly-elected leaders of non-Communist parties in front of domestic and foreign journalists, according to Wu Jianmin, spokesman for the First Session of the 11th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

    The leaders include Lin Wenyi from the Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League, Jiang Shusheng from the China Democratic League, Yan Junqi from the China Association for Promoting Democracy, Han Qide from the Jiu San Society, Zhou Tienong of the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang, Sang Guowei from the Chinese Peasants and Workers Democratic Party, Chen Changzhi from the China National Democratic Construction Association and Wan Gang from the China Zhi Gong Dang.

    China's non-Communist parties, with a combined membership of more than 700,000, or one percent of the 73 million of the Communist Party of China (CPC), represent specific interest groups, reflect complaints and suggestions from all walks of life and serve as a mode of supervision of the CPC.

    The chairpersons and vice chairs of the parties were elected late last year.

    They have rich working experiences as scholars or governmental officials, among whom some even had studied or worked abroad, said Wu.

    They are well known and influential in the academic circle and society at large, said Wu.

    The press conference is one of the three to be held during the 11-day CPPCC session slated to open on Monday afternoon at the Great Hall of the People in central Beijing.

    The rest two press conferences are about social responsibility of new stratums and the upcoming Olympics, Wu said.

Annual session of China's top advisory body to open Monday, lasting 11 days

    BEIJING, March 2 (Xinhua) -- The First Session of the 11th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the country's top political advisory body, will open on Monday afternoon and last 11 days.

    The session is scheduled to end on the morning of March 14, Wu Jianmin, spokesman for the session, told a press conference on Sunday. Full story

China to install more non-Communist officials

    BEIJING, March 2 (Xinhua) -- More eligible non-Communists are expected to become high-ranking officials in China following last year's appointments of two non-Communist ministers, said a spokesman of the forthcoming annual political advisory session.

    "Across China, more than 31,000 non-Communists are working as officials at or above county level, of whom at least 6,000 work at government organizations and judicial bodies at various levels," said Wu Jianmin, spokesman for the First Session of the 11th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). Full story